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The Long Night Part One: Embers in the Dusk: A Planetary Governor Quest (43k) Complete Sequel Up

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Steel of Body, Steel of Mind
  • Apocrypha
    • Steel of Body, Steel of Mind


    When the eldar learned of the Grand Ritual, it called on all its allies to provide aid to stop it, and that included the Forge-Empire of Callamus. Callamus would answer the call and demanded a tithe of troops from all the major forge worlds under its rule, which the Forge-Empire would send to the eldar. All acquiesced bar Graia, which instead recalled its fleets and macroclades. The forge world's motives were far from treasonous, however. In the face of this galactic Chaos threat, logic dictated only one course of action for the Crown of Miracles: a full-scale assault in the truest sense of the word. Not only would each and every ship, skitarius, tech-priest, Titan, servitor, and menial join the crusade, but so would the actual Forge World itself. The vast network of space stations known as the Graian Crown would detach itself from its ruined homeworld and venture through the Empyrean to the Storm of Judgement, guided by Ynnari corsairs to make good speed.

    It would arrive somewhat late, after even the Forge-Empire's forces, but once there it would be a significant boon to the warriors and allies of the Imperium of Man. Graia: a mobile and intensely fortified citadel and an apex repair and resupply depot. Graians: legendarily tenacious, hardwired to reason and logic, and bearing the guns of the Age of Technology. In their billions they march into the jaws of hell, blasting away at the daemonic foe with thunderous volleys of slugs and vaporising energy blazes. Where they stride, their noospheric projections of emotionless clarity and rationality erects a sanctuary against the insane fury and zeal of the Abominites' witch energies.

    The Omnissiah will know that should His Imperium fail to save reality from defilement, that it would not be for Graia's resistance to the Motive Force.

    -----------
    @Durin
     
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  • Apocrypha
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    Sic Semper Tyrannis
  • Sidestory
    • Sic Semper Tyrannis

    Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.
    -English Proverb
    ​
    The skies burned a golden hue—the dirt beneath drenched in crimson across countless worlds. A permeating smell of ash and ozone hung upon battlefield after battlefield as the Coalition fought and died in defiance of a Tyrant masquerading as the benevolent patriarch. But no matter how great the throne, how strong his sword, or how bountiful his war chest overflowed, Tjapa could never erase the sin of arrogance and detachment from his rule. Pettiness and cruelty, disguised as burden and necessity upon his worlds. Never once did the Tyrant proclaim himself the instigator of such cruelty. Rather he announced himself as the patriarch who had to restore order in his house.

    So men worked, fought, and died to bring about a terrible order to things. Garbed in golden armor, with glowing halos, and wielding weapons of a revered but false age. All to ensure that the Tyrants Kingdom remained standing, deluding itself into thinking itself a shining beacon of hope and order in the realms of Gods and Men.

    But there stood a resistance against his claims to power. The last remnants of a dead Imperium stood against him, perhaps in a vain attempt or mayhaps to inspire others in their sacrifice. Others joined them, those that never knew or could remember both the glories and horrors of the Old Imperium. Never the less, they stood against the Tyrant. And when the Doomed One came, to die alongside such mortals, he uttered not one word but spoke with his actions.

    We Stand Here, Together.

    It went without saying that the war would end in defeat, that no man could genuinely stand against such a brutal empire. But in these acts of defiance, in showing to the galaxy no matter how vain, a Tyrant could be reminded that not everyone cowered and bowed before his "wisdom" or his paternal "protection," but rather a man would sooner choose death as a free man than live as a slave. Death was not a punishment in the face of such adversity, rather it was but an act of spite against such forces.

    During this time, something peculiar happened. No one knew where it originated from, nor who in the Coalition would coin the phrase, but many began to utter an ancient epithet: Thus is the fate of Tyrants. It reminded people that no matter how or when a tyrant would always be toppled. Perhaps not during their lifetime, maybe thousands of years after their passing, but it would be people and history that would forever ruin their legacy. That justice, no matter how long it took, would arrive for them. It gave many within the Coalition a warcry of their own, and in some ways, their last words of defiance.

    For many, it would be the only comfort they would receive in the end. Many would fall in agony, alone, or with inglorious ends. But each death continued to act as a reminder of what awaited those that served such creatures as Tjapa. For a while, the Coalition suffered, so too did the Armies of Gilded Valor and False Order. And each dead Angyl, each "loyalist," and madmen who believed himself, master of his destiny, heard the chant as they died alongside the Coalition.

    "Thus is the fate of Tyrants!"

    And no matter how much Tjapa willed that pathetic phrase to die, it would keep appearing. Over and over again. On battlefields across the Great Storm, it echoed on the banners of species which had yet to be silenced. And upon the very armor of the Lamenters as they approached the Final Doom.

    "Thus is the fate of Tyrants!"

    Even the other Gods and their miserable armies could be heard snickering, laughing behind his back, and mocking the False King with barbed words. A tyrant could never stand ridiculed, after all. He ordered any instance of that phrase being erased from the records of this war, that when he finally achieved victory, no one would ever dare mock him again.

    And yet it continued, echoing across vox and space. The words hounded Tjapa as it brought endless fury during his moment of triumph! He refused to allow some forgotten phrase, used by rebels, traitors, assassins, and backstabbers to act as a rallying call by those that stood against his vision.

    "Thus is the fate of Tyrants!"

    The Coalition would suffer increasingly cruel reprisals. Entire regiments made examples by numerous punishments, others simply fed as sacrifices in rituals to summon forth more Angyls. And yet, these prisoners kept repeating the phrase until the very end, even as their souls were devoured. They would not be silenced, not now, and never again. Their deaths would act as a scream of defiance, a real action that would last for eternity upon the tides of the warp.

    ---

    @Durin Something for the Coalition in the face of overwhelming odds.
     
  • Sidestory
    • Doomed Wombat said:
    Damn man...wow.
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    Tyrants are just strongmen leaders in the end, and if you suddenly start to call them out on their shit and actively defy them they get super pissed off. I don't expect Tjapa to be any different, especially during his "moment" of triumph during the Grand Ritual.

    For the Coalition, who he thinks will die in vain, are actively in spite of him with just a single phrase/idea. Which pisses him off because it's effectively the "I AM SPARTACUS" moment and it's now reaching full meme status. He's going to win this war, but he didn't defeat his enemies if that makes sense.
     
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    Ruirk said:
    Tyrants are just strongmen leaders in the end, and if you suddenly start to call them out on their shit and actively defy them they get super pissed off. I don't expect Tjapa to be any different, especially during his "moment" of triumph during the Grand Ritual.

    For the Coalition, who he thinks will die in vain, are actively spitting him with just a single phrase/idea. Which pisses him off because it's effectively the "I AM SPARTACUS" moment and it's now reaching full meme status. He's going to win this war, but he didn't defeat his enemies if that makes sense.
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    Oh I get the idea, its just it made me surprisingly emotional, but I am a sucker for these kinda things :D

    But, yeah its going to royally piss him off, which hopefully will get him and his servants to act like idiots.

    That being said I'm going to see if I can get the Assassins involved as well. Coalition of Imperial powers seems like the kinda thing they'd get in on.
     
    A quick meme for the Coalition side of things.

    Coalition: Is this it? Our final battle? It feels like doom has washed over us all.

    Doomed One and Lamenters:
     
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    Ruirk said:
    Sic Semper Tyrannis

    Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.
    -English Proverb
    ​
    The skies burned a golden hue—the dirt beneath drenched in crimson across countless worlds. A permeating smell of ash and ozone hung upon battlefield after battlefield as the Coalition fought and died in defiance of a Tyrant masquerading as the benevolent patriarch. But no matter how great the throne, how strong his sword, or how bountiful his war chest overflowed, Tjapa could never erase the sin of arrogance and detachment from his rule. Pettiness and cruelty, disguised as burden and necessity upon his worlds. Never once did the Tyrant proclaim himself the instigator of such cruelty. Rather he announced himself as the patriarch who had to restore order in his house.

    So men worked, fought, and died to bring about a terrible order to things. Garbed in golden armor, with glowing halos, and wielding weapons of a revered but false age. All to ensure that the Tyrants Kingdom remained standing, deluding itself into thinking itself a shining beacon of hope and order in the realms of Gods and Men.

    But there stood a resistance against his claims to power. The last remnants of a dead Imperium stood against him, perhaps in a vain attempt or mayhaps to inspire others in their sacrifice. Others joined them, those that never knew or could remember both the glories and horrors of the Old Imperium. Never the less, they stood against the Tyrant. And when the Doomed One came, to die alongside such mortals, he uttered not one word but spoke with his actions.

    We Stand Here, Together.

    It went without saying that the war would end in defeat, that no man could genuinely stand against such a brutal empire. But in these acts of defiance, in showing to the galaxy no matter how vain, a Tyrant could be reminded that not everyone cowered and bowed before his "wisdom" or his paternal "protection," but rather a man would sooner choose death as a free man than live as a slave. Death was not a punishment in the face of such adversity, rather it was but an act of spite against such forces.

    During this time, something peculiar happened. No one knew where it originated from, nor who in the Coalition would coin the phrase, but many began to utter an ancient epithet: Thus is the fate of Tyrants. It reminded people that no matter how or when a tyrant would always be toppled. Perhaps not during their lifetime, maybe thousands of years after their passing, but it would be people and history that would forever ruin their legacy. That justice, no matter how long it took, would arrive for them. It gave many within the Coalition a warcry of their own, and in some ways, their last words of defiance.

    For many, it would be the only comfort they would receive in the end. Many would fall in agony, alone, or with inglorious ends. But each death continued to act as a reminder of what awaited those that served such creatures as Tjapa. For a while, the Coalition suffered, so too did the Armies of Gilded Valor and False Order. And each dead Angyl, each "loyalist," and madmen who believed himself, master of his destiny, heard the chant as they died alongside the Coalition.

    "Thus is the fate of Tyrants!"

    And no matter how much Tjapa willed that pathetic phrase to die, it would keep appearing. Over and over again. On battlefields across the Great Storm, it echoed on the banners of species which had yet to be silenced. And upon the very armor of the Lamenters as they approached the Final Doom.

    "Thus is the fate of Tyrants!"

    Even the other Gods and their miserable armies could be heard snickering, laughing behind his back, and mocking the False King with barbed words. A tyrant could never stand ridiculed, after all. He ordered any instance of that phrase being erased from the records of this war, that when he finally achieved victory, no one would ever dare mock him again.

    And yet it continued, echoing across vox and space. The words hounded Tjapa as it brought endless fury during his moment of triumph! He refused to allow some forgotten phrase, used by rebels, traitors, assassins, and backstabbers to act as a rallying call by those that stood against his vision.

    "Thus is the fate of Tyrants!"

    The Coalition would suffer increasingly cruel reprisals. Entire regiments made examples by numerous punishments, others simply fed as sacrifices in rituals to summon forth more Angyls. And yet, these prisoners kept repeating the phrase until the very end, even as their souls were devoured. They would not be silenced, not now, and never again. Their deaths would act as a scream of defiance, a real action that would last for eternity upon the tides of the warp.

    ---

    @Durin Something for the Coalition in the face of overwhelming odds.
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    I like the idea that tjapa is super-natually cursed by that phrase and it starts following him everywhere even when it makes no sense that completely disjoint species and resistances say it. In fact, I'm head-canoning it that at the end of times when The End awakens and destorys everything or whatever (or we win, you know), its the last thing anyone says to him/it. it IS kind of the first thing that comes to anyone's mind about a tyrant....that they are evil and will fall.
     
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    hey people, I was about to start reading this quest when I realized that the two latest chapters aren't marked as volume 2 but as epilogue, is this quest ending? because if it's not I'll start reading it now but otherwise I'll wait until it's finished.
     
    incama said:
    hey people, I was about to start reading this quest when I realized that the two latest chapters aren't marked as volume 2 but as epilogue, is this quest ending? because if it's not I'll start reading it now but otherwise I'll wait until it's finished.
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    whats happening is durin is getting sick of all the overhead of a thread with 5k+ pages and is moving to a new thread.

    hes also doubling down on the changes by using the transition to make a bunch of needed changes to the way he runs the quest (and background stuff) edit: as well as moving onto part 2 of the story! we did well so we are getting the sparks version impling that we have better chances then the alternatives
    ALSO: hes got the wiki going now with all the help of the omake-hunters: Embers in the Dusk Wiki

    so no, its not even CLOSE to ending people! its just getting started.
     
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    incama said:
    hey people, I was about to start reading this quest when I realized that the two latest chapters aren't marked as volume 2 but as epilogue, is this quest ending? because if it's not I'll start reading it now but otherwise I'll wait until it's finished.
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    As above said not nearly ending. We've simply finished the prologue.
     
    incama said:
    hey people, I was about to start reading this quest when I realized that the two latest chapters aren't marked as volume 2 but as epilogue, is this quest ending? because if it's not I'll start reading it now but otherwise I'll wait until it's finished.
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    To expand further, its the end of thread 1, but Durin has 2 more of the peluga's planed.
     
    Dragon_352 said:
    whats happening is durin is getting sick of all the overhead of a thread with 5k+ pages and is moving to a new thread.

    hes also doubling down on the changes by using the transition to make a bunch of needed changes to the way he runs the quest.

    so no, its not even CLOSE to ending people! :):):lol:
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    jjffjhjf said:
    As above said not nearly ending. We've simply finished the prologue.
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    thank you both for answering so quickly, could you give me some advice on what is the best way to read the story? because there is a metric ton of omakes marked as cannon and I'm not used to paying much attention to them.
     
    incama said:
    thank you both for answering so quickly, could you give me some advice on what is the best way to read the story? because there is a metric ton of omakes marked as cannon and I'm not used to paying much attention to them.
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    mmm I'd say the only omakes it'd be good to read are the ones in the front page.

    Go to non volume omakes, then Must Read and the ones that are marked canon are...well pretty self explanatory, although even then you might end up with spoilers.

    Everything else if you want to IMO.

    Otherwise reader mode and don't be afraid to ask questions, and as the writer of some of the real worst omakes, I apologies to you and your retinas if you end up reading them.
     
    incama said:
    thank you both for answering so quickly, could you give me some advice on what is the best way to read the story? because there is a metric ton of omakes marked as cannon and I'm not used to paying much attention to them.
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    well...a few options:
    1): do what some of the legends have said some have done and just go through ALL of the pages...alot of it does actually hold useful info (fun fact: Rotbert got 24 martial out of a theoretical max of 18 when durin rolled our MC's base stats due to a combination of literally perfect luck and a DM who was too surprised to properly pick his jaw off the floor, its why our MC has a paragon atm which makes him better then most space marines in that regard!)

    2): only go through alll the threadmarks and info-pages and all the sidestorys (as those are canon I believe), maybe add the apocrypha or maybe media.
    ....at the bare minimum you should read the FAQ of the info and all of the threadmarks.

    I would also do a wiki walk now that it exists if thats a thing your brain is capable of (not everyone has fun doing wiki-wanders after all)
     
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    Doomed Wombat said:
    mmm I'd say the only omakes it'd be good to read are the ones in the front page.

    Go to non volume omakes, then Must Read and the ones that are marked canon are...well pretty self explanatory, although even then you might end up with spoilers.

    Everything else if you want to IMO.

    Otherwise reader mode and don't be afraid to ask questions, and as the writer of some of the real worst omakes, I apologies to you and your retinas if you end up reading them.
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    Dragon_352 said:
    well...a few options:
    1): do what some of the legends have said some have done and just go through ALL of the pages...alot of it does actually hold useful info (fun fact: Rotbert got 24 martial out of a theoretical max of 18 when durin rolled our MC's base stats!)

    2): only go through alll the threadmarks and info-pages and all the sidestorys (as those are canon I believe), maybe add the apocrypha or maybe media.
    ....at the bare minimum you should read the FAQ of the info and all of the threadmarks.
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    ok and thanks, wish me luck.
     
    incama said:
    thank you both for answering so quickly, could you give me some advice on what is the best way to read the story? because there is a metric ton of omakes marked as cannon and I'm not used to paying much attention to them.
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    Personally, I went through the threadmarks for the main story and for the sidestories at the same time and just checked the date to make sure I wasn't going too far in either tab.
     
    Personally I only read the thread marks, the must read omakes, and read the faq and the media, with very few actual comments. That will get you all of the mandatory info. I would also suggest to read the first few pages of the thread because you will see how it just started accelerating from page 1.

    If you do that very little should confuse you, except that sometimes an empire, god, concept, or technology will be brought up that was created in an omake, and is a little hard to interpret without reading them, like the aetheric concordant. If you have any reasonable questions about who someone is, what happened, or about the world, don't be afraid to ask. I've never seen the thread or discord get mad at someone who needs info to better understand the quest.
     
    I was just looking at rotbarts page again, it says he has 57 martial. but I'm pretty sure the trait he got from fighting with/for the eldar got him another +2 for rounding out his experience portfolio via the variety of leading so many different species.

    so should we change it to 59 martial right?
    (hes at the barrier to transcendent, so if we are super lucky he gets the right rolls at the right battle and gets transcendency. this will get him a trait that puts him on the galactic stage and immortality, or well, agelessness)

    also, why does rotbart only have surviver of the gilded skys in his wiki page? shoulden't he also have surivivor of the pink and red skys as well?
     
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    Dragon_352 said:
    are we sure about that? seems odd to not get survivor-trait for surviving....and then getting those two traits as well or seperately for getting/doing other things.
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    Basically, you can get a better (or different) trait for surviving the Incursion if you also did something, and it usually replaces the basic survival trait, because getting both would be too much. I think Jacob upgraded his Angyl Slayer trait into a Daemon Slayer after Blood Skies, for example.
     
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